The purists say that a cocktail is a work of art. Over the last few years, one of the biggest trends in bars and lounges around the world has been the resurgence of the cocktail. Preparing a quality cocktail is increasingly compared to preparing a plate of food. Substitute the chef for a mixologist, but the essence remains the same: the manipulation of flavors of a diverse range of ingredients that best accompany the liquor in question. New York, for example, a city we’re very familiar with, had many of these cocktail “temples”, among them Pegu Club, PDT, Death & Co., Milk & Honey, Maison Premiere, to name but a few.

We aren’t going to, nor should we, compare Luanda’s cocktail scene with New York’s. But it’s undeniable that the Angolan cocktail has evolved. And if it has, the blame lays squarely on the abilities of their creators: the Angolan barmen (or mixologists, if you prefer).

This past 15 December, the Bartenders de Angolagroup organized their 1st Cocktail Festival in partnership with Diageo Angola. The best christmas cocktail made with Tanqueray No. 10 Gin would win the prize. The event was held at the Luanda Grill restaurant on the Ilha, and various industry insideres, including bartenders, bar and restaurant owners and managers, and of course the general public. There were two voting phases: the first was done online on Facebook, where fans would vote on their favorite cocktail, while the second phase was done on site by a jury made up of Valter Dias, Enilson Rosa, João Black and Piero Bertassoni.

Among the 7 finalists hailing from Luanda’s bars and restaurants, the big winner was Edi Borges from Orquestra das Panelas restaurant. Acácio da Silva (Moments) came in 2nd while Garcia Malfeito (Luanda Grill) came in 3rd.

The next event, “Short Seco Vodka Ciroc”, will be held on the 23rd of February at Moments.